nutrir

noo-treernuˈtɾiɾ

“nutrir” means “to nourish” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to nourish🔊B1Verb

providing nutrients for growth

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to fuel / to foster🔊B2Verb

providing ideas, feelings, or support to something abstract

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to nourish

Also: to feed

VerbB1regular ir

A small green seedling growing out of rich brown soil being watered by a watering can.

gerundnutriendo

past Participlenutrido

infinitivenutrir

📝 In Action

Una dieta equilibrada sirve para nutrir el cuerpo adecuadamente.

A balanced diet serves to nourish the body properly.

Esta crema ayuda a nutrir la piel seca durante el invierno.

This cream helps to nourish dry skin during the winter.

Es fundamental nutrir bien a los niños en sus primeros años.

It is essential to nourish children well in their early years.

Word Connections

Synonyms

alimentar (to feed)
sustentar (to sustain)

Antonyms

desnutrir (to undernourish)
debilitar (to weaken)

Common Collocations

nutrir la piel – to nourish the skin
bien nutrido – well nourished
nutrir el cuerpo – to nourish the body

to fuel / to foster

Also: to supply

VerbB2regular ir

A glowing lightbulb inside a wooden crate being filled with colorful glowing stars.

gerundnutriendo

past Participlenutrido

infinitivenutrir

📝 In Action

Sus viajes sirven para nutrir su imaginación como escritor.

His travels serve to fuel his imagination as a writer.

Debemos nutrir el debate con diferentes puntos de vista.

We must enrich the debate with different points of view.

Los nuevos datos van a nutrir nuestra base de información.

The new data is going to supply/populate our information base.

Word Connections

Synonyms

enriquecer (to enrich)
fomentar (to foster/promote)

Antonyms

agotar (to exhaust/drain)

Common Collocations

nutrir el debate – to fuel the debate
nutrir la mente – to nourish the mind
nutrir la esperanza – to nourish/fuel hope

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yonutriera

túnutrieras

él/ella/ustednutriera

nosotrosnutriéramos

vosotrosnutrierais

ellos/ellas/ustedesnutrieran

Present Subjunctive

yonutra

túnutras

él/ella/ustednutra

nosotrosnutramos

vosotrosnutráis

ellos/ellas/ustedesnutran

Indicative

Preterite

yonutrí

túnutriste

él/ella/ustednutrió

nosotrosnutrimos

vosotrosnutristeis

ellos/ellas/ustedesnutrieron

Imperfect

yonutría

túnutrías

él/ella/ustednutría

nosotrosnutríamos

vosotrosnutríais

ellos/ellas/ustedesnutrían

Present

yonutro

túnutres

él/ella/ustednutre

nosotrosnutrimos

vosotrosnutrís

ellos/ellas/ustedesnutren

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Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "nutrir" in Spanish:

to feed→to nourish→to supply→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: nutrir

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence uses 'nutrir' in a physical sense?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

nutrición(nutrition) — Noun

nutritivo(nutritious) — Adjective

nutriente(nutrient) — Noun

nutricionista(nutritionist) — Noun

🎵 Rhymes▼

vivir sentirreír

📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'nutrire', which originally meant to suckle, breastfeed, or take care of a child.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: nourishFrench: nourrirItalian: nutrire

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'nutrir' a common word in daily conversation?

It's common, but often replaced by 'alimentar' (to feed) in very casual talk. 'Nutrir' is used more when focusing on health, beauty, or professional topics.

Can I use 'nutrir' for plants?

Yes! You can 'nutrir las plantas' with fertilizer (abono) to help them grow healthy.

Is 'nutrir' irregular in any tense?

No, it is a completely regular '-ir' verb. It follows the same rules as 'escribir' or 'abrir'.